DMT’s attempt to resolve number plate backlog

Tuesday, 26 May 2026 06:53 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

The recent announcement by the Department of Motor Traffic (DMT) that nearly 100,000 uncollected vehicle number plates from 2023 and 2024 remain piled up at its offices, highlights a serious administrative issue that deserves urgent attention.

While the DMT has now requested vehicle owners to collect these plates before 30 June 2026, one wonders whether a more practical enforcement-oriented approach could also help resolve the problem.

A series question arises here, as to how the vehicle owners ran their vehicles without official number plates for two to three years. An effective solution may be for the DMT to coordinate with police stations island-wide and provide details of vehicles whose owners have failed to collect their number plates despite completion of the printing process.

It is also relevant to note that temporary number plates are intended only for limited interim use until permanent plates are collected. If vehicles continue to operate for extended periods using temporary plates despite permanent plates having already been issued, this gives the police or the DMT an opportunity to levy penalties while simultaneously encouraging owners to regularize their vehicle registration documentation.

Such an approach could produce several benefits simultaneously:

n The DMT’s storage and administrative burden would reduce significantly.

n Vehicle owners would regularize their documentation more quickly.

n The Government could generate additional revenue through penalties or administrative charges.

n Law enforcement authorities would also benefit from improved vehicle identification records.

In an era where government agencies are encouraged to work in coordination with one another, this may be an opportunity for the DMT and the Police Department to jointly address a long-standing backlog in a practical and efficient manner. Destroying the number plates in a hasty manner may only add to the cost of re-doing the number plates and someone absorbing the additional costs.

A concerned citizen